TG debt: Cong, Opposition lock horns

Hyderabad: The Treasury benches and Opposition BRS locked horns during discussion on ‘Outstanding Liabilities of State’. Heated arguments between BRS MLA T Harish Rao and the Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka continued even on Thursday.

The ruling party accused the previous regime of pushing the state into a financial crisis and the latter refuted the claims. The debate comes in the backdrop of the privilege motion against Bhatti moved by BRS on December 16 for allegedly presenting ‘misleading data’ on the state’s debt.

Making a statement during the discussion, Deputy CM maintained that the total outstanding debts at the time Congress came to power was Rs 6,71,757 crore and the Opposition tried to mislead the house through its statements. He said that the RBI reports including Government Guaranteed Loans which were being referred by the BRS were actually sourced from the Telangana’s budget. “What the RBI is referring to are the budget documents of the State government (2023-24) when BRS was in power. The RBI did not conduct any separate audit; it is purely from the figures provided by the BRS government,” he said.

Bhatti also blamed the food poisoning cases of the Gurukulas on the ‘wrong doings’ of the previous regime citing its failure to support the increased expenditure of essential food items. He affirmed that the steps being taken up by the present government like hike in 40 per cent diet charges and 200 per cent cosmetic charges were ensuring this trend is brought into control.

Countering these figures, Harish Rao said the actual debt when the BRS left power was Rs 4.17 lakh crore only, while the Congress government has raised Rs 1.27 lakh crore in just one year. “Speak lies, repeat them often, intimidate, shout, suppress the truth, and propagate only deceit.

Whether in opposition or in power, the Congress operates with the same deceitful tactics. Despite their attempts to silence us, we stand by the truth and will continue to present facts. I challenge Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka to prove his claims. Bhatti Vikramarka, prove your claims, and I will resign here in Speaker format. If you cannot, will you resign as well?” he asked, amid uproar from the Treasury benches.

Responding to Rao, Bhatti asserted that the government repaid Rs 1.18 lakh crore, including principal and interest, within a year. “We have resolved the financial mess created by the BRS government and ensured salaries for 3.69 lakh employees and pensions for 2.88 lakh beneficiaries are paid on the first of every month,” Bhatti said.

Amid uproar as Harish Rao spoke he heard someone calling him out a ‘thief’. Responding to this, the BRS MLA wondered who was the ‘useless fellow’ who was speaking out unparliamentary language. This triggered commotion in the house for sometime as treasury benches objected to usage of the phrase ‘useless fellow’. Intervening over the matter Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu objected to the way Harish Rao lost his cool and used abusive language on mike. On this Harish Rao wondered if Sridhar Babu was supporting this.

Responding to the clamour against him by Congress legislators including Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, Harish Rao took potshots at Munugode MLA. He hoped that Rajgopal becomes the next Home Minister of the State so that he gets access to mike without a hitch.

Responding to this Rajgopal Reddy felt that Harish Rao was unable to digest the good governance being provided by the Congress. He demanded that the BRS MLA apologise for using the unparliamentary language in the house.

Following clarification from Bhatti, Harish Rao warned that the BRS may approach courts if the Congress continues to share wrong figures on State debts. Meanwhile, Bhatti maintained that the Congress stands by its figures.